Artist Statement
Painting is complicated. The end result of painting is a painting!
So – both a verb and a noun. A painting is a frozen moment in time. The painter uses tangible materials to create something symbolizing a moment that happened in the world or in their mind. That is what I’m trying to accomplish – recreating a complex idea or a moment of beauty or emotion – all in the effort to distill for the viewer something that resonates with them.
Moments, minutes, hours, days and sometimes months are spent on the effort to capture a bit of life that is meaningful at the moment of viewing, but also intriguing enough to live in the owner’s home and challenge them to think new thoughts, feel an emotion or reflect on their own view of the world.
See – it is complicated. I continue to take up the challenge of this problem. I believe It is a worthy endeavor, with layers of logic and analysis, but also the effort to abandon logic and analysis to create from a subconscious place of abandon, bravery, experimentation and freedom.
It’s difficult! That’s why I keep doing it. 50 years of painting!
So – both a verb and a noun. A painting is a frozen moment in time. The painter uses tangible materials to create something symbolizing a moment that happened in the world or in their mind. That is what I’m trying to accomplish – recreating a complex idea or a moment of beauty or emotion – all in the effort to distill for the viewer something that resonates with them.
Moments, minutes, hours, days and sometimes months are spent on the effort to capture a bit of life that is meaningful at the moment of viewing, but also intriguing enough to live in the owner’s home and challenge them to think new thoughts, feel an emotion or reflect on their own view of the world.
See – it is complicated. I continue to take up the challenge of this problem. I believe It is a worthy endeavor, with layers of logic and analysis, but also the effort to abandon logic and analysis to create from a subconscious place of abandon, bravery, experimentation and freedom.
It’s difficult! That’s why I keep doing it. 50 years of painting!
Artist Bio
Maybe it all started when my mother brought home my first artist’s materials of oil paint, brushes, paint thinner and canvas paper. I was 15 years old. Or maybe it started before – with a cousin who showed me how to draw a face; or a friend who could draw realistic horses; or an art class; or when walking along the farm roads near my home. Whenever it was – it was enough to make me sit in my room alone, painting a still life I had set up or a beautiful photo found in a magazine.
All these things sparked a yearning in me to do more painting, learning from library books and observation. I was only able to complete a painting or two a year after I left home, started college, then a career as a Physical Therapist, and then years of raising kids. I painted at home until the age of 50, when we bought a building that became Three Havens Artworks Gallery and Studio.
I finally felt I could call myself an artist when I started selling my paintings. Taking courses and learning from the internet, I improved. I started painting commissioned home portraits in Alexandria, Minnesota and have completed more than 50 now. I’ve received some awards, and had some great opportunities over the years, but I must admit that my greatest honor is when a person buys my art. I also helped to start the Alexandria Art Guild, and am now the President of this effort to build and support the artist community in my area. I am also a Board member at Lake Region Arts Council.
Now after 50 years of painting, I think I might be getting the hang of it.
All these things sparked a yearning in me to do more painting, learning from library books and observation. I was only able to complete a painting or two a year after I left home, started college, then a career as a Physical Therapist, and then years of raising kids. I painted at home until the age of 50, when we bought a building that became Three Havens Artworks Gallery and Studio.
I finally felt I could call myself an artist when I started selling my paintings. Taking courses and learning from the internet, I improved. I started painting commissioned home portraits in Alexandria, Minnesota and have completed more than 50 now. I’ve received some awards, and had some great opportunities over the years, but I must admit that my greatest honor is when a person buys my art. I also helped to start the Alexandria Art Guild, and am now the President of this effort to build and support the artist community in my area. I am also a Board member at Lake Region Arts Council.
Now after 50 years of painting, I think I might be getting the hang of it.